Houston’s consolation prize: Space Shuttle Explorer

Robert Pearlman, of CollectSpace, has posted a good overview of the latest in the disposition of space shuttle artifacts. Among the tidbits is that Space Center Houston will get a mock-up of the space shuttle, Explorer, from Kennedy Space Center:

Explorer, a full-scale space shuttle replica that for years has been on display at the Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex, will be moved to Space Center Houston. The lot it leaves vacant in Florida will be filled by a new facility to display shuttle Atlantis.

Unlike Atlantis and the other flown shuttles, Explorer will offer Space Center Houston guests the opportunity to go where the other orbiters’ visitors cannot: inside.

“Of course, we are very disappointed we didn’t get a real orbiter, but we’re excited we’re getting a shuttle mockup,” Paul Spana, Space Center Houston’s exhibits manager, told collectSPACE. “With the other orbiters, you’ll be able to go up to them and see them but you can’t actually go on board, you can’t actually go inside of it. So we see that as being a positive thing about receiving the Explorer; our guests will be able to access the mockup on two levels: one on the flight deck and then on the mid-level deck.”

“Not only is [Explorer] full scale, so people can get close to it and get a sense of how big it is — because there aren’t too many places you can experience that — but not only that, you’ll be able to go on board the orbiter,” Spana said.

Ok, so Explorer isn’t a flown shuttle. It’s not even an experimental shuttle. It’s a mock-up. But it would offer visitors an interactive experience.

Pearlman also reports that Houston will receive one of only two crew compartment trainers that astronauts used to train. Originally promised to the National Air and Space Museum, the Smithsonian has released it to stay in Houston.

The Houston-based visitors center also hopes to get the “white room” and gantry from Launch Pad 39B. This could allow the museum to recreate the experience of astronauts entering the space shuttle, in a vertical position, on the launch pad.

So if you were mad about the original decision to locate the shuttles in New York, California, Washington, D.C. and Florida, especially in light of New York’s recent location troubles, does the acquisition of Explorer and these related artifacts mollify you?